US figure skaters enjoy training, life at Beijing 2022

BEIJING - Having been in Beijing for three days, figure skating sensations from the United States Karen Chen and Mariah Bell said they enjoyed life in Beijing and are keeping an easy mind for the upcoming Olympics.

"In 2018, I felt very overwhelmed with just everything going on, and now I'm really focused on myself and just having fun out there," said Chen after a training session at the Capital Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.

The American-born-Chinese ranked 11th in PyeongChang with sub-par performances. In Beijing, she will skate to classical Chinese music "Butterfly Lovers."

"I remember watching Chen Lu skate to it when I was really little, and I've always wanted to skate to it. It's such a special piece of music and I'm so thankful that I'm able to skate here in Beijing," she noted.

Chen's teammate Bell, who will compete in the Olympics for the first time said she would do the best that she can do. "I just want to skate really well and completely enjoy myself, and whatever else happens happens."

The 25-year-old Bell is dubbed as the oldest US figure skater to compete in the women's event since the 1920s by the US media, but this does not affect her mindset.

"I don't feel much different at all than I did when I was like 17 or 18, only I do have more experience," said Bell.

"I have more experience competing and dealing with nerves and excitement. And so at this point, it's really just like a job. I have all my tools, and I just pull them out when I need them, and I get to enjoy my skating and have all these amazing experiences," Bell added.

The two skaters, together with their teammates, are now staying in the athlete village. "It feels so great. The facility is really nice," said the two-time Olympian Chen.

"I would love to be able to explore China and walk around outside the village, and I understand that safety is number one," Chen added.

Bell said that she had concerned about eating in the dinning hall before arriving at the village, but now she feels very safe. "You kind of have your own space that you eat in. You wash your hands, you put gloves on when you enter. It made me and at least the people that I've been talking feel very safe."

"We generally go to the dining house together and then we'll walk. There's a really cool area, almost like a mall in the village, so we've gone through there together," said Bell. "And it's cool because the rings are everywhere and also the flags, and you're walking there together."

Another thing that appeals to Bell is the smart bed in her room. "You can adjust it, like rising it up. I need to get one for my home. It's good," she told Xinhua with laughter.